PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish helicopters violated Armenia's airspace several days ago, the head of Civil Aviation Department said in an interview with Hraparak.

“Turkish military aircraft violated Armenia’s airspace on October 6-7 for 2-4 minutes; certain measures were taken in accordance with special procedures,” Artyom Movsisyan said. “Dispatcher at Armats, the Armenian Air Traffic Services agency, took corresponding steps to identify the aircraft.”

The Ankara dispatcher told the Armenian one that military passenger helicopters had crossed the border, but had quickly left without advancing into Armenia’s territory.

“The Ankara dispatcher also said the Turkish helicopters entered Armenia’s airspace because of bad weather,” Hraparak quotes Movsisyan as saying.

Turkish military helicopters briefly violated Armenia's airspace
several days ago, the head of Civil Aviation Department said in an
interview with local media.

`Turkish military aircraft violated Armenia's airspace on October 6-7
for 2-4 minutes; certain measures were taken in accordance with
special procedures,' Artyom Movsisyan told the daily newspaper
Hraparak.

The Ankara dispatcher told the Armenian one that military passenger
helicopters had crossed the border, but had quickly left without
advancing into Armenia's territory.

`The Ankara dispatcher also said the Turkish helicopters entered
Armenia's airspace because of bad weather,' Hraparak quoted Movsisyan
as saying.

Armenia is hosting Russia's 102nd military base which is on combat
duty as part of the Unified Air Defense System of the CIS countries
and the Russian military contingent in the South Caucasus region.

Turkey, which is a NATO member state, expressed concern earlier this
week about a an incident in which a Russian warplane, operating in
Syria, trespassed into Turkish airspace, on October 3.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu assured Moscow on Monday that
the incident would not sour relations between the two countries.

Russia's Sukhoi Su-25, Su-24M and Su-34 attack aircraft, with the
support of Su-30 jets, commenced precision airstrikes against IS
targets in Syria on September 30, following a request from Syrian
President Bashar Assad.

OPPOSITION MEMBER: CSTO SHOULD HAVE REACTED TO VIOLATION OF ARMENIA AIRSPACE

16:34, 13.10.2015

YEREVAN. - The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) should
have at least given a diplomatic reaction to Turkey's violation of
Armenia's airspace.

The vice-chairwoman of Armenia's opposition Free Democrats Party,
Anush Sedrakyan, noted the above-said at a press conference on Tuesday.

"They endlessly assure us [Armenia] that our country's border is
protected in a reliable manner by the OSCE and the Russian troops,"
Sedrakyan added. "[But] it was found that, in any case, there will
be no reaction in response."

In her words, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia has become
an irresponsible institution since a long time ago.

On October 6 and 7, some Turkish transport helicopters had violated
Armenia's airspace for two to four minutes, and in the direction of
Armavir city in the Armavir Province of Armenia.

PanARMENIAN.Net - A member of the Armenian delegation at NATO
Parliamentary Assembly's 61st session inquired of NATO Secretary
General Jens Stoltenberg about Turkey'sviolation of Armenia's airspace
on October 6 and 7, Tert.am reports.

Stoltenberg told Tevan Poghosyan he was not informed about the issue.

"Stoltenberg said he had never looked into the question. He also asked
me to send an official inquiry for him to thoroughly study the matter
and give an answer," Poghosyan told Tert.am.

Poghosyan approached the NATO chief in the corridor as he had not
been able to raise the question during discussions of reports and
resolutions.

Though Armenia's Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense issued no
statements, the head of the Civil Aviation Department Artyom Movsisyan
confirmed that Turkish helicopters violated Armenia's airspace for
2-4 minutes on October 6-7. The Ankara dispatcher said, according to
Movsisyan, that the Turkish helicopters entered Armenia's airspace
because of bad weather.

Poghosyan said that he raised the question in the context of
Stoltenberg's statement on recent Russian violations of Turkey's
airspace and NATO's vow to defend each of its members at any cost.

Poghosyan hopes for clarifications by the NATO Secretary General
ahead of NATO week in Armenia in early November. A corresponding
letter has been sent to James Appathurai, NATO Secretary General's
Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia.

YEREVAN. - NATO block has to apologize for Turkish helicopters in
Armenia's air space, MP and member of Armenia's delegation to NATO
Tevan Poghosyan told reporters.

Poghosyan said he had raised the issue in a written inquiry to NATO
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Special Representative for
the Caucasus and Central Asia James Appathurai.

"First he was surprised but then promised to follow the developments,"
the Armenian MP said, adding that he expects to receive the answer
in early November.

"Armenia is one of the most active partners of NATO. We do not
want such incidents to repeat. The Alliance has to apologize if
helicopters really crossed the border because of bad weather,"
Poghosyan emphasized.

On October 6-7 the transport helicopters of Turkish Armed Forces
violated Armenia's air space. The flight in the direction of Armavir
continued for about 2-4 minutes. The helicopters were heading from
Igdir to Kars.

YEREVAN. - The Turkish helicopters' violating the airspace of Armenia
was a clear message; it showed the vulnerability of our defense system.

Ambassador Ara Papyan, who is a political scientist and Director of
the Modus Vivendi Center, stated the aforesaid at a press conference
on Tuesday.

In his words, even if this incident was accidental, the kind of
reaction to it is important.

"That is, the Russian [air] defense system was unable to act in
time," Papyan said. "[This means] they can enter and open fire in
the territory of Armenia at any time.

"Here the Russian side is to blame that it did not work so well. The
Russian side, by conducting air defense, should have monitored
these flights by the Turkish side in advance, and been ready for the
appropriate preventive measures."

On October 6 and 7, some Turkish military helicopters had violated
Armenia's airspace for two to four minutes.